Tractor restoration creates opportunity to show, socialize |
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By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition |
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June 30, 2005 - For every man there is a hobby and Lionel Getz of Paris has found his. Getz has spent the last 10 years restoring tractors. He had previously spent his time restoring Corvettes. As his children got older, they insisted on driving his classic projects, so he reformed his hobby. After moving to Lamar County in 1995 from Victoria, Getz built a shop on his property and began restoring tractors, machines that took him back to his roots. "I started out on a farm," said Getz. "I'm just reliving my childhood." Restoring tractors is no easy task, according to Getz. Many of his tractors require years of attention before they are ready to show. Recently, he was able to display some of his work at the North Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Club Show on June 18, but the weekend show lasted only a fraction of the time spent on each tractor. There are several difficulties associated with restoring antique tractors. "Sometimes they're stuck," he said. "Water finds its way into the combustion chamber and they're stuck."
Large tires and hard-to-find parts make the task more expensive and difficult. "For the John Deeres, you can find just about anything you want, it just depends on how deep your pockets are," said Getz. The unusual tractors create the problems. When a part cannot be found, Getz said the restorer must improvise. "Some folks will even fabricate the part," he explained. "But you're talking mega bucks there." In addition to making parts from scratch, he said he has heard of people having parts copied mechanically. Both are expensive alternatives to using an original part. For the materials, Getz spends anywhere from $2,500 to $3,000, but admitted that estimate might be more like a percentage of the real costs. He joked that in the restoration business, investment costs are shaved a little to keep the "other-half" happy. Getz has minimized his costs by doing nearly all of the restoration work himself. While his nephew's machine shop occasionally comes in handy, Getz does the most of the mechanical and metal work himself. He paints the tractors in his shop. "I have a decent sized shop where I'm able to do a lot." A lot indeed. Getz has restored several makes and models of tractors in his shop. John Deere, Allis Chalmers and McCormick are all represented among Getz's show projects. "The Allis 1B is probably my favorite because it's more rare and it draws a lot of attention whereever I go," he said. The tractor is rare. It is a 1953 Allis Chalmers 1B. According to Getz, in a 20-year time frame, 2,850 of the 1B were made. He also has a 1947 McCormick Farmall B, made in the last year that model was produced. Getz said that he looks for unique tractors to restore. In addition, the restorer/collector has managed to find and rebuild both a 1935 and 1955 John Deere B. Those years are significant because they mark the beginning and the end of the B series production. "It's kind of special," said Getz of having the two tractors. "You look for unique features like that." The two John Deeres are now restored to nearly flawless condition. The road to recovery was years in the making for both the tractors. Getz said he found the 1935B on a used car lot. "Course it didn't look like that when I got it," he said, pointing to the glistening green, working machine. He spent three years restoring the 1952B. "The metal was pretty bad, and the engine mechanically was pretty bad," he recalled. What may be more impressive than the age of the tractors is the fact that Getz continues to use them for light work around his property. "That's the fun of having them," he said. "It's doing things with them, like driving them in parades." Unlike the Corvettes he once resurrected, Getz plans on keeping his tractor projects. "I haven't sold any yet," he said. "I don't plan on selling them. The heirs will have to decide what to do with them." Though Getz said "the boss" (referring to his wife) insisted his recent project was his last, he said he is always looking for new projects. There is one tractor Getz has not restored that he still has hopes for. "The John Deere BR," he said. "It's a cute little tractor and they're fairly rare and expensive." Getz admits that the attention he receives from his projects fuels his hobby. "It's a little bit of an ego trip. You want to have a good tractor and have people admire them," he said. He added that most people are impressed. The attention comes only after countless hours in the shop putting in the work, and Getz enjoys that part of the process just as much as the praise. "It's a therapy - just getting away and doing things with my hands," said the retiree. "It's refreshing to be off by myself and the being able to come with a finished project that is nice is rewarding." In addition to relaxing hours in a shop, and praise when he shows his tractors, Getz said the hobby has introduced him to new people. "The other part of this hobby is the people," he explained. "They're nice, congenial, and friendly." Getz liked the company of his fellow tractor restorers so much that he joined the Red River Valley Antique Tractor Club near his home. He now spends about five weekends a year traveling to shows with his tractors. "You get to compare notes with other folks," he said. "They might know about a part or something that you never even thought about." Getz exhibited his tractors at the Red River show in May and shortly after traveled to Terrell for the North Texas Antique Tractor and Engine Club Show. This year was the first year the annual show was held in Terrell after being held for years in Mesquite. Getz thought the new location would work well in the future. "It looks like a good facility so far," he said. He plans on attending the event next year. In the meantime, he plans on fine tuning his restoration projects. "Some people have house pets," he joked. "I have garage pets." |
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